The train seating was comfortable and the scenery was absolutely sensational when out of the city. Staff were wonderful and thoughtful but there were a couple of issues. There wasn’t enough food in the cafe for throughout the trip and in fact, one item on the menu was sold out before we even left the station at Auckland. The other issue is the smell in the toilets which was dreadful. A simple deodoriser would certainly go along way to solving this. Also there was no soap to wash your hands in the toilets. Not hygienic at all!

If you enjoy train travel and the thought of being relaxed and looked after for several hours appeals, then I highly recommend this journey. As part of a NZ holiday where you have a mixed selection of ways to travel and different destinations in your itinerary, this is a great option. Some reviews have said the train is a bit slow and the scenery is 'ok'. Well really, it's a tourist train. I thought the views were marvellous. We booked the 'Plus' option so we had a table which was nicely set with a cloth, cups etc. As it happens, the catering car was out of action that day and there was no hot food. We were informed before setting off and were offered a full refund or $100 rebate if we chose to go ahead. However, even more unfortunately, the sandwiches were awful. We were led to believe that supper would be hot, but it turned out to be more sandwiches, a few cold meats and cheese. All pretty dreadful and a huge disappointment of course. I think we merit more than $100 and will be writing to say so..... A heads-up: the cutlery is wooden and all drinking vessels are plastic, which I couldn't help thinking was a bit of a let down.

This is the classic rail journey of the NZ North Island. Early start at The Strand railway station, check in was a pencil and paper check list which some International passengers found difficult. The train locomotive is a Diesel electric unit hauling about 7 carriages, one open viewing carriage and the remainder of 2 levels of luxury carriage. We opted for the Premium package,Scenic Plus class which gave us a table to ourselves. Presentation of the train is immaculate from the engineering side underneath to the layout of the carriages. White table cloth, frequent change of cutlery and utensils and quality food and beverage kept coming throughout the journey. Staff were really cordial, helpful and complimented the quality of the professional setting. There are no stops along the way but toilet facilities are excellent. Commentary is provided when points of interest are coming up. People who enjoy Cruises will love this journey….. Could be improved by better PA system but, otherwise the trip is well worth the money.

We experienced beautiful weather, amazing service; delightful company and lovely scenery for this very long train ride from Auckland to Wellington. Tip: if you can, splurge for the “scenic plus” option! It’s totally worth it. We were treated to constant food and drink along the entire journey!

I am an ex pat living in the UK and currently visiting my lovely home country. I decided to do all of the Great Journeys New Zealand trip starting with this one. We were blessed with amazing weather and the on-board service was fantastic. The views from the observation carriage were unforgettable. Thank you for the wonderful memories.

Great experience , recommend the Scenic plus ticket if you’re not with kids. Wine and dined along the way is a wonderful way to view New Zealand !

You keep asking for a review even though we had to cancel. There really is not anything else to say. It is hard to do a review for something we did not do.

We spent a wonderful Saturday doing this train journey from Auckland to Wellington. We had to be at the railway station for 7am and it was well worth the effort of the early start. The crew were very friendly and welcoming from the moment we boarded. We had the scenic plus option which we felt was well worth the extra money as we had a “rolling” eight course menu served gradually throughout the day accompanied by very good New Zealand wines. Each carriage has large windows so you have great views and we could spend time in the open carriage getting plenty of fresh air and even better scenic views.

What a great time we had. The staff so friendly the train ride was brilliant we had the best company around us. The view was stunning. Lucky to have a sunny day. So glad that we made the journey by train. A highlight of our trip

We wanted to finish off our north island visit with a trip from Auckland to Wellington and we hoped for something more interesting than a flight on Air NZ! The tour train from Auckland to the capital fit the bill in spades. When I booked the trip (in August for November) the basic class of travel was already full so I opted to book the Scenic Plus dining experience. Boy was that a great choice! The food was cooked on board and served at our seats in multiple courses accompanied by seemingly bottomless wine pours. Outdoor observation car was fun (and breezy). The pre-recorded commentary (over headphones) was supplemented by our hostess's personal commentary and the all around experience was one of luxury. Staff was friendly and welcoming. An exceptional experience.

A heavily marketed journey that does not live up to the hype The scenery is quite good especially around the national park area and viaducts. It is a (very slow) tourist train not used by locals and as you are assigned seats over which you don't choose you can end up jammed in for 13 hours. On board staff were pleasant but ground staff do seem to have a high and mighty attitude. There are way prettier train journeys in the world like Norway and Scotland. It's not a bad way of seeing some of the north island though. Clever marketing by Great Railway Journeys but it doesn't quite match the hype.

I booked this train trip to auckland fro wellington I sept 2025 through a travel agency and was given a booking number and a confirmation number and rang yesterday to finalize with payment and was told by nz rail there was no booking made too bad ...but get this she knew whom had done the booking and I told her I had booked the ferry both ways and accomodation In picton and wellington and my daughter was flying in from aussie to meet me off the train in auckland ...to bad she said you shouldn't have booked through viator. I'm discussed nz rail you should be ashamed of your selves

The train was a great way to see the country. It took 11 hours, but it was well worth. You saw the small houses along the track in the city, but finally you got to see the country side. Cattle, horses and lots of sheep. The train stops at different towns, but it doesn’t take long at all. Use the head phone and listen to the history as you travel through the different areas. Great experience! Visiting from Fort Worth, Texas

My sister and I took the Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington. The staff were welcoming and extremely friendly - nothing was too much. The food and drinks were very tasty, very regular and plentiful - you do not leave the train hungry and could if you wanted leave the train slightly less sober than you boarded ! Views from the windows and the open observation car were amazing and we were treated to sunshine, rain & hail all in one day. Certainly a nice trip to take if you have the time.

Fantastic way to see North Island's lovely scenery. Left Strand Train Station in Auckland at 7.45am and arrived in Wellington at 6.45pm.